Pechora Pipit is an almost-annual September Gambell specialty. Photo: Brian Sullivan
For many birders, there are few more exciting experiences than spring and fall birding on several of the islands in western Alaska, particularly at Gambell, Saint Lawrence Island. The autumn season, specifically, provides the opportunity of finding mind-blowing mega-rarities, a number of which do not occur in spring. The search of the three boneyards and other nooks and crannies for lost Asian species is made even more exciting by the entire experience of just being there: the Russian mountains looming up only some 50 miles away, living in a Yupik (Eskimo) community, countless tens or hundreds of thousands of seabirds streaming by daily, numbers of Alaska and Arctic avian specialties present, and excellent photographic opportunities available. And—again—all this providing a backdrop to the search for avian waifs from both Asia and North America. There is something about searching Gambell’s boneyards, the old village, the lower slopes of the mountain, and the lakes and marshes—all the time with that feeling that you never quite know what incredible surprise just might flush up in front of you with your next step!
A partial list of the Asian landbirds (and number of individuals) found at Gambell between 8-30 September since 1999 includes: Oriental Cuckoo (1), Sky Lark (3), Middendorff’s Grasshopper-Warbler (1), Sedge Warbler (1), Lesser Whitethroat (1), Dusky Warbler (6), Yellow-browed Warbler (1), Pallas’s Warbler (1), Taiga Flycatcher (1), Spotted Flycatcher (1), Siberian Rubythroat (2), Red-flanked Bluetail (1), Eyebrowed Thrush (2), Siberian Accentor (10), Tree Pipit (1), Pechora Pipit (5), Little Bunting (8), Pallas’s Bunting (1), Brambling (21) and Common Rosefinch (1).
Finding and identifying many of the landbird rarities in autumn is very difficult due to the vegetative cover and many of the birds’ furtive behavior, and birding history here shows that virtually all the landbird rarities are found by birders with considerable fall Gambell birding experience, even when numbers of other birders are present. Paul has spent more than a year of his life, mostly in the fall, studying birds at Gambell, a dedication to location and mission that earned him a Gambell village Yupik name, Piyugpak, meaning “man who walks many, many, miles”.
While Asian landbird strays can occur anytime between the last week of August and the beginning of October (or even beyond), the “best” time period for them varies from year to year, Asian shorebirds and regular “trans-Beringian” landbird migrants decline after around September 10 (although a few good ones continue), so anyone coming after that should assume they will not see a large number of those “regular” species and might even miss a few, but seabirding will be excellent and landbird rarities from both Asia and the North American mainland should occur. Throughout mid- and late September, King Eiders, Harlequin Ducks, Pacific Golden-Plovers, Rock Sandpipers, Slaty-backed Gulls, Horned and Tufted Puffins, and Hoary Redpolls continue. During mid-September the annual mass of Short-tailed Shearwaters off the point peaks at possibly a million birds per day, and there should still be small numbers of auklets, murres, a Gray-tailed Tattler or two, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, and Red-throated Pipits. During late September there is often a substantial push of Yellow-billed Loons past the point, and the chances for Spectacled Eider, Gyrfalcon, Black Guillemot, and McKay’s Bunting improve.
Updated: 10 October 2007
Prices
- Per person per day $65
Notes
Periodically, WINGS will offer a leader in residence program. The essence of such a program is that a WINGS leader will be in one place for an extended period of time, and interested individuals and groups can come at any time in the period and avail themselves of the offered services, which may vary from skeletal to extensive.
Price is per person per day for leadership services only. Clients are expected to arrange their own transport to Gambell, and accommodation and meals while at Gambell. WINGS will assist with arranging ATV rentals.